A blog about a Brownie Unit – Brownie Meeting ideas

Brownie Camping: Play Mancala (African Stone Game)

Mancala is a game of sowing seeds or stones around a board. The goal is to clear the board and get the most seeds in your store. We tried it at camp for some quiet time and the girls were completely enthralled. We had to stop them after about 25 minutes.

Girls play in pairs so for each pair you’ll need:

1 egg carton

2 stores or wells (we used coffee filters, but cereal bowls or cups would work)

I play it all the time on my phone – I like Mancala FS5. It helps to see it in action if you can.

Explaining it to Brownies:

Some of the girls already knew the game so I played with one of them to demonstrate. Then we distributed boards and let them go. It was so successful that we have kept our beads and egg cartons for a “just in case we run out of stuff” moment at regular meetings.

Who can play:

The game is rated for ages six and up. I think Sparks might struggle, but it should be fun for older girls starting at Brownies but on up to Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers.